One of the most modern howitzers in the world is the German Panzerhaubitze 2000 (in an abbreviated form - PzH 2000, where the digital index indicates the new millennium). Experts unanimously classify it as the perfect model of field artillery in the world, which has a serial production.
This 155-mm self-propelled gun-howitzer was developed by the German concern Krauss Maffei Wegmann, which is what makes one of the best Western European tanks Leopard 2. By the way, many of the components and assemblies of this tank are widely used in self-propelled transmissions. The howitzer entered service with the Bundeswehr at the end of 1998, although engineers began working on sketches of this system in the mid-70s of the last century. The impetus for the creation of the howitzer was the failure of the German-Anglo-Italian program to develop the 155-mm SP-70 self-propelled gun-howitzer. The new self-propelled system PzH 2000 was developed taking into account the modern concept of warfare, i.e. the howitzer must destroy the target with one salvo from a long distance and leave the firing position as quickly as possible. The howitzer is designed to destroy area and point targets, primarily tanks and armored combat vehicles, fortifications, as well as enemy manpower. To accomplish these tasks, a modern gun is equipped with a muzzle brake and an ejector. The rifled barrel has a length of 52 calibers, that is, 8 meters. The howitzer is equipped with an automatic loading system. Self-propelled ammunition is 60 rounds and 228 modular propelling charges. Additional equipment includes 7, 62-mm MG3 machine gun (ammunition - 2000 rounds) and 8 grenade launchers for shooting smoke grenades.
The howitzer fires all NATO standard ammunition, including homing and nuclear warheads. In the first 9 seconds, it can fire 3 shells, then the rate of fire depends on the heating of the barrel - 10-13 shells per minute. The most modern technologies are used for fire control - an automated system is capable of pointing the entire battery at a target at once. Shooting can also be carried out using MRSI technology (Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact), which allows you to change the trajectory of each next shot. So, a howitzer can cover one target with five shells almost simultaneously. The crew can fire both independently and in cooperation with the battery or divisional command and control points. The PzH-2000 battery takes exactly 2 minutes to open fire from the stowed position, carry out 8 artillery volleys and leave the firing position: vital characteristics in our time of breakneck speeds. The howitzer fires a standard L15A2 projectile at 30-35 km.
However, this self-propelled gun can compete for firing range even with multiple launch rocket systems - during field tests, a projectile specially developed by the South African company Denel flew 56 km. And this is not the limit, since the range of the projectile was determined by the limits of the shooting range.
The crew of the howitzer is reliably protected by armor capable of withstanding shots from a large-caliber machine gun and shrapnel of artillery shells. The self-propelled howitzer is equipped with systems of protection against weapons of mass destruction, fire warning systems, ventilation, fire extinguishing systems, as well as dynamic armor that protects from cluster shells not only from the side, but also from above.
The 8-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine can reach speeds of up to 60 km / h. The self-propelled gun can overcome slopes up to 30 degrees and vertical obstacles more than a meter high.
